BY KAREN BOSSICK

A BBQ & Beer fundraiser in support of women’s and children’s self-defense training will be held on Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Hurtig Shooting Center in Ohio Gulch.

The fundraiser for Thrival Foundation will be held from 5 to 7:30 pm. It will include a Pistol/Shotgun fun shoot, preparedness training, raffle drawing and short speech from a reality competition winner. Tickets are $20, available by texting 208-309-5900.

The fundraiser for Thrival Foundation is designed to support self-defense and situational awareness classes geared towards women and youth.

The foundation was founded by Tara Bell, a Wood River Valley native. She began offering workshops for young women going off to college and others a few years ago. Her workshops include women’s and kids only outdoor camps where participants learn first aid, fire starting, water sourcing, shelter building, wilderness navigation, wild plant knowledge and firearm safety.

Recently, she decided to go the nonprofit route to better be able to offer workshops to those who can’t otherwise afford them.

“The foundation has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember,” said Bell, who is the executive director of the foundation. “For Thursday’s fundraiser, I have Jack Carr, a former Navy SEAL and thriller author, who is autographing his books. I have awesome sponsors, such as First Lite. And I have an awesome speaker—Lindsay Persico, beat out men in the show ‘Alone the Beast.’ ”

Persico serves on Thrival’s board, along with Ryne Reynoso,  who grew up in Hailey and played baseball for Boston College; Paul Searles, a graphics meister; Tana Grenda, an Idaho native and Alaskan pilot, and Tayler Powers, a Canadian with a passion for the outdoors and empowering women and children.